The present invention relates to improved reader for a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved reader or reading arrangement mounted on the end of a robot arm, which is disposed on a waste or trash vehicle, for picking up containers or bins of trash waste or the like which are provided with an RFID tag.
It has become increasingly usual in both commercial and residential waste or trash collection for the collector to provide customers with specially designed waste or trash bins which, for collection of the waste or trash, are engaged by a robot arm mounted on a trash or waste vehicle and are lifted vertically to empty the bins into the vehicle or trash truck. The empty bins are then lowered to the ground and returned to the customer. In order for the bins to be engaged and emptied in this manner, it is necessary for the customer to place the bin at a particular location, and preferably with a particular orientation. In the case of residential customers, this generally entails placing the bin adjacent to the curb on the collection day. In this way, the waste or trash truck can move along the curb and sequentially pickup and empty the bins disposed there for collection.
Since the cost of waste or trash collection is often times dependent on the number of containers which are picked up in a given period of time and since, when private trash collection companies are involved, it is possible to have competing trash collection companies which collect trash on the same day, it is necessary to provide some identification on the individual trash bins or containers which identify the person to which the particular bin or container belongs. Although such identification can be visual, it is preferable to provide some kind of identification which can be read automatically so that the time for such identification can be reduced, and thus the efficiency of the trash collection process improved.
One such type of identification which has been provided is an RFID tag attached to the container which identifies the container and thus the customer. Generally this tag is attached to the lid of the container or bin and is readable by a reader mounted on the truck. In one such known reader for this purpose, e.g., utilizing an inductive loop antenna disposed above the container or bin, the range of the reader is very limited so that difficulty in reading the tag results if the bin or container is not properly oriented adjacent to the curb. For example, if the tag is disposed toward the front of the bin or container, but the container is disposed adjacent to the curb so that it is rotated by 180.degree., whereby the front of the container faces away from the curb, the reading of the tag may not take place since the distance between the tag and the loop may be greater than the read range. This requires that the truck or vehicle operator or driver stop the vehicle and orient the bin or container prior to pickup by the robot arm. Obviously, this results in an increased cost for the collection operation.
Therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a reader for an RFID tag which can read the tag at larger distances and at various orientations so as to permit the reading of the tag even when the bin is not in the preferred orientation so that the driver may remain in the vehicle.